Focus on Patrick Baucelin, famous independent author, producer and director

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The following article was previously published in French in our cinema section .  The interview was conducted by Patricia MASTAIL from Pluton-Magazine/Martinique

Focus on Patrick Baucelin, famous independent author, producer and director. He is fond of the Martinique and Caribbean heritage and his work for the development and the promotion of broadcasting producing is renowned all over the world. 
 
His fascination for pictures dates back to his childhood. He devotes all his energy to this passion, he has multiplied photo trainings and experiences and he was quickly spotted thanks to the quality of his work. As he wanted a new challenge, he created the Studio Pat company in 1981 and quickly bought quality equipment. He first focused on photography but he rapidly turned to cinema. His company has directed reports, promotional films, ads…
It is a first in our island. In 1990, he offered Martinique great broadcasting equipment with his own money, the Espace PAT, composed of a recording studio, a shooting set and, more importantly, a 110-seat projection room.
 
With his determination and passion, Patrick Baucelin produces his own documentaries about Martinique and about the Caribbean. He works towards valorisation and brilliance of the heritage of the islands of this part of the world through their history, culture and heritage, trying to show their diversity.  His filmography is impressive.
 

 
The productions of this “Caribbean ambassador” were awarded prizes in various national and international festivals. At the 3rd International Medical Film and Book Festival in Paris, in 1987, he was awarded a first international prize, le Caducée d’Or, thanks to his film Vé, ou konnet, a prevention film about the parasitosis problem in Martinique.
He has been awarded several prizes, among which about 40 awards, such as the Crystal Award of Excellence of broadcasting communication in the Travel category and a Trophy Award in Hollywood. He was awarded a prestigious prize in 2017 in New York, the Lifetime Achievement Award awarded by the CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organisation) to long term and high performance professionals. He was awarded for his contribution to tourism in the Caribbean.
 
Patrick is currently promoting the second part of the documentary about Les secrets des forteresses de la Caraïbe 2 (The Secrets of the Caribbean Fortresses 2).  Despite a busy schedule until the end of 2020, he accepted this interview between two trips to the Caribbean. Elegantly, with passion and outspokenness, he answered the questions of Pluton-Magazine.
 
P.M.: You are enjoying a spontaneous fame, aren’t you? What do you think of your own career?
 
B.:  It is a 38-year career during which I mobilized my skills and my work capacity. I specialize in semi-fictional documentary films. I want my documentary films to be instructive. They are recognized and awarded. I have seen my job evolve in a passionate way thanks to technology. All this encourages me to continue.
 
P.M.: How would you define your job and how do you deal with being a producer and a director?  What are the difficulties?
 
B.: I am an author, producer and director.  I realize a personal writing work on the screenplay of my films and I ask historians and specialists to read them. I have energy and an organization capacity I can’t explain and that allows me to go from one position to another.
 
Film promotion is very difficult. I must promote my films.  The press feedback is very positive, especially abroad.
 
The financing keeps being the main problem of productions. I am in charge of looking for funds and of setting up the projects. Difficulties appear as time goes by and I have to learn not to lose time.
 

 
P.M.: Can we talk about your favourite achievements? What are your best sequences?
 
B.: I would say the Au temps des isles du sucre film. It highlights the different wind, beast and water mills that used to exist and that were used to crush cane. Those machines were used during the slavery period. Women used to work in the mills. Two sequences touched me. The first one showed women’s choice because they were better fed because of a hard and risky job. The other one, even more moving, showed a woman whose hand gets caught in the gears because of tiredness. Back then, to guarantee the survival of the slave, there was no other alternative than chopping her hand off with a machete. The actress touched me with her scream, her interpretation at that precise moment and her personal history.